I think showing class in those situations is SO important.

John Stockton (a Zag Alum) is an athlete I've always admired. I remember at the end of a game in the NBA finals one year (I was too young to remember which year), he went up for a lay-up and got fouled hard. The Jazz were down by one, and that would've been the go-ahead. The ball went up, rolled around the rim, and fell off. Amazingly, despite the obvious foul, there was no whistle on the play and the Jazz lost.

After the game, Stockton was getting interviewed. One reporter with a sly grin asked him: "So, are you mad the foul wasn't called?"

Stockton paused thoughtfully, then answered: "No, I'm mad I missed the shot."

I remember thinking about that a lot as a kid. I learned more and more to not blame MY problems on other people, and that I should focus on what I PERSONALLY can control. Stockton was a great player, but more importantly he was and is a great MAN.

I love sports. I love competing, I love being apart of a certain type of a battle. I love adrenaline-pumping, fans jumping, losing-my voice, and the utter madness that surrounds the world of sports. BUT, it's lessons like this that make me love sports even more. I think it's one of the main reasons I AM a BYU fan. Because the university as a whole knows and lives that there's more to life than winning a game. Don't get me wrong, I love winning. I want to win SO bad. But there's more that's important to life. Much, much more.

As a kid, I learned several lessons from Stockton, Hornaseck, Ty Detmer, Steve Young, and the like. Today, I respect people like Kevin Durant, Jimmer Fredette, Blake Griffin, and Jabari Parker who LIVE their lives better than they even play their games. I love the passion and excitement sports bring, but these lessons I think are what keep me coming back.

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